The Rest of the Story
by Lavender Valentine
Summary: Inu-Yasha learns the ending to a story he heard long ago...a light one-shot in the canon universe. Rated PG-13 for mild potty-mouth.


**Disclaimer:**  I don't own these marvelous characters; they are the property of Rumiko Takahashi.  I merely torture them at will and put them in uncomfortable situations whenever possible.

**Summary:  **A tale was told to Inu-Yasha as a child, but the story was never finished…

**The Rest of the Story**

……

The kitsune's rasping cough awakened Inu-Yasha from his fitful sleep.  He stifled a groan as he opened a single tawny eye, hoping Shippo suffered from some airborne dust or pollen and not the flu-like illness currently plaguing the local youkai.  Having fallen victim to the horrifying fever and nausea at some point last night, Inu-Yasha was in no condition to be caring for a sick kit.  Maybe the runt suffered from allergies or something?

A horrible retching noise told the hanyou his hopes were in vain.  Judging by the sounds coming from the tiny demon, Shippo had succumbed to the virulent sickness and was now in the process of losing the contents of his stomach.  Inu-Yasha realized he'd have to help the brat in spite of his personal distaste for playing nursemaid.  There was simply no one else available.  Kagome had returned to her side of the well for some more of her damn tests, Sango and Miroku were taking care of a minor extermination at a neighboring village, and Kaede had her hands full taking care of the local human populations' run of various illnesses.  The advent of spring had been a difficult time for youkai and humans alike.

Inu-Yasha slowly pulled himself upright from where he'd been lying at the base of the Goshinboku.  Earlier, he'd been too ill to even consider climbing the tree.  The world momentarily spun around him with little flecks of starlight and moonbeams chasing the pounding noise in his skull.  Inu-Yasha dug his claws into the trunk of the god tree and willed himself to stay upright.  "Shippo!" he called out hoarsely, his weakened state preventing him from yelling.  "Oi, runt, get over here!"

The kitsune feebly crawled from the bushes over to the shaking hanyou.  "Inu-Yasha, I don't feel good.  My tummy hurts and my head hurts…" Shippo began to cry, tears slipping down his cheeks.  He raised a tiny fist to brush them away, trying to be 'brave' in front of the one he secretly hero-worshipped.  "I want Kagome!" he bawled, giving up all pretense of being anything other than a sick child.

Sighing, Inu-Yasha reached down to pick up the kitsune and place him against his shoulder.  Clutching his burden tightly, he staggered toward the nearby springs.  "Kagome can't be here, brat, she has to take these tests of hers," he scolded, but his tone was gentle.  Truth was; Inu-Yasha also wanted Kagome to be here.  She took such good care of them when they were sick or wounded, her patience never wavering.  And the heavens knew he treated her so badly she ought to pour salt in his wounds instead of salve.

He didn't really mean to be so harsh with Kagome, but she had a way of constantly making him uncomfortable by getting so…close.  And Inu-Yasha had learned one lesson in life the hard way – if your enemies couldn't attack you, they would attack those close to you.  It was bad enough living with Kikyo's death on his conscience.  There was no way in hell he'd be able to go on if he lost Kagome.

They arrived at the springs, and Inu-Yasha unceremoniously stripped the little fox demon and tossed him into the cool water.  Shippo let out a shriek and began to wail.  "Inu-Yasha, why are you picking on me?  I'm telling Kagome, and she's going to 'sit' you until your ears fall off!"

Inu-Yasha ignored the kitsune's protests and removed his own clothing before joining Shippo in the springs.  "Stop whining, litter-runt!  The cold water will make your fever go away.  Besides, you smell like vomit and I can't stand to have you next to my nose!"  He ducked Shippo under the water a couple of times and then once more for good measure.

"I guess that's clean enough," Inu-Yasha told the now-gasping kitsune.  Kami, but just this small amount of motion had exhausted him.  He hauled the sodden Shippo over to the shallow area and they both collapsed, allowing the water to rush over their burning skin.  If their enemies came along at this point, Inu-Yasha realized, the fight would be over before it started.  He doubted he had the strength to even remove Tetsusaiga from its sheath.

Shippo was now crying in earnest, misery etched across his young face.  "Quit your blubbering and I'll tell you the story about the dragon and the water youkai," Inu-Yasha promised the kit.  Shippo immediately stopped sniveling and looked at the hanyou expectantly.

"Okay, now how did that story begin?" Inu-Yasha mumbled.  "Oh yeah, now I remember.  Once, a long time ago, there was an enchanted spring.  In that spring, there lived a beautiful water youkai."

"What did she look like?" Shippo wanted to know.

"How should I know?  The story just said she was beautiful," Inu-Yasha grumped.  Shippo's face fell and Inu-Yasha found himself struggling to appease the youth.  "Um, she had long, black hair…hair so soft that when you touched it you thought you were touching silk.  Her eyes were blue, but they changed color with her moods."

"Just like Kagome!" Shippo piped up.

A pink flush raced across Inu-Yasha's cheeks, making him grateful for the cool water surrounding them.  Okay, so maybe his description of the water youkai _did_ sound a bit like Kagome, but so what?  Kagome was beautiful, everyone said as much.  Not that he'd ever admit it out loud, of course.

"Are you going to let me tell the story or not?" Inu-Yasha demanded, forcing his thoughts away from the absent schoolgirl.  Shippo nodded, and Inu-Yasha continued.  "Anyway, this story isn't about the water youkai, it's about the dragon that guarded the enchanted spring.  The waters of this enchanted spring contained magic, and those who drank from the spring would know instantly have their true love in life revealed to them."

"They didn't already know who they loved?  Why did they have to drink spring water to find out?"

"It's just the way the story goes, all right?  Now pay attention."  A gentle breeze blew across the springs just then, and Inu-Yasha shivered.  "We need to get out and dry off, Shippo.  Come on," he prodded the sick kitsune out of the water.  "I'll finish the story after we're dressed."

By the time they were dressed, Shippo was shaking uncontrollably.  "I'm cold," he whimpered, moving over to sit next to the hanyou under a nearby tree.  Inu-Yasha removed his fire-rat haori and wrapped it around the shivering little fox demon.

"How's that?" Inu-Yasha asked as he cradled the small kitsune against his chest in an effort to keep him warm.  For once, Inu-Yasha was actually grateful that Kagome and the others weren't around.  They'd be laughing hysterically if they could see him now, comforting the brat!  A vague memory tickled across his mind.

_"Aniki, I feel terrible," the young Inu-Yasha cried pitifully.  "I'm cold and my head hurts!"_

_"Be still, otouto," his elder brother Sesshomaru had answered as he picked up the tiny Inu-Yasha and carried him toward their ancestral home.  "It's nothing more than a passing youkai-plague.  You will feel better in time."_

Had that really been Sesshomaru carrying him?  It was hard to picture the stoic taiyoukai carrying _any_ child, much less a hated younger half-brother.  And yet, it had been Sesshomaru who had told him the story of the dragon…

"The dragon had a good heart, but he was rude and gruff and didn't like all the strangers who would come to the spring.  He worried that one day, someone would approach the spring and fall in love with the water youkai and take her away from him.  You see, the dragon was very brave and fierce and he wasn't afraid of any youkai or ningen, but he _was_ afraid of being left all alone.  The water youkai had kept him company and she always laughed at his jokes and told him stories.  It was said that the dragon guarded the enchanted spring, but in reality, he was guarding the water youkai.  Protecting her was the only way he could show her that he loved her."

"Why didn't the stupid dragon just tell her he loved her?" Shippo asked with a yawn.  He snuggled deeper into Inu-Yasha's haori and closed his eyes.  His shivering had stopped and some color was creeping back into his pale little face.

"Keh," Inu-Yasha snorted.  "She's a _water_ youkai and he's a _fire-breathing_ dragon!  Like _that_ relationship's gonna work!  Now quit interrupting me or I won't tell you the story!"

"Where was I?" Inu-Yasha scratched an ear absentmindedly.  "Oh yeah, the water youki.  She would always tell the dragon she liked being protected by him.  But once a year, the water youkai would return to her father's river, a place where the dragon couldn't follow.  When she left, she'd promise the dragon she would return as soon as possible, but the dragon was always impatient.  The entire time the water youkai was at her father's river, the dragon would be in a terrible mood and threaten to kill anyone who approached the springs.  This, in turn, would anger the water youkai when she found out and the two of them would fight for days after her return.  Eventually, though, they would settle down and events around the springs would return to normal.  The dragon would protect the water youkai, and the water youkai would force him to allow anyone with a good heart to approach the springs."

A soft snore interrupted Inu-Yasha's narrative.  Looking down, he realized the little fox demon was sound asleep in his arms, his russet tail curled around him.  Inu-Yasha placed a clawed hand on the kitsune's forehead.  The kit was still warm, but not as feverish as before.

It was just as well that Shippo had fallen asleep, for Inu-Yasha had no idea how the story of the water youkai and the dragon ended.  He, too, had fallen asleep during the telling of the story, lulled into slumber by the sound of Sesshomaru's rich voice and wrapped in the warmth of his brother's haori.

Inu-Yasha felt his own eyes growing heavy with fatigue.  How frustrating, to be so strong and yet be laid low by a simple bout of youkai-flu.  Knowing he hadn't the strength to return to the Goshinboku, Inu-Yasha clutched Tetsusaiga in one hand and used the other to support the kitsune sleeping against his chest.  He curled into the base of the tree and joined Shippo in slumber, his last thoughts swirling in confusion over Sesshomaru's actions that day so long ago.

_One day a great evil stalked the face of the land.  A youkai more terrifying than any other, known as Hageshimaru, rode rampage through the local villages and destroyed all who were in his path.  The dragon heard of his approach, and he and Hageshimaru fought a great battle.  The dragon was winning the battle, but unbeknownst to him, the evil Hageshimaru had sent another force to slay the water youkai.  The evil one had hopes of destroying the water youkai, and thereby destroying the heart of the dragon._

He felt so very, very ill, his fever once again mounting.  Inu-Yasha could hear Sesshomaru's distinctive voice as the story continued.  Was he hallucinating?  His brother wouldn't be at the springs, would he?  Unable to open his eyes, Inu-Yasha relaxed against the feel of small hands playing with strands of his silver hair.  For some odd reason, the gesture brought enormous comfort to him.  One of the hands moved over to scratch an ear and Inu-Yasha had to force himself not to growl in contentment.

No thanks to this sickness, his nose wasn't working.  Inu-Yasha wrenched his eyes open and looked through blurry vision at the brown-eyed human girl playing with his hair.  A small ponytail kept her long hair from her eyes, and a flashing smile showed a gap-toothed grin.  Near her sat Sesshomaru, his face as expressionless as ever.  His eyes, though…Sesshomaru's eyes held an emotion Inu-Yasha had not seen since he was younger than Shippo.

Now he _knew_ he was dreaming - the great Sesshomaru keeping company with a ningen child?  Sesshomaru, showing concern?  Golden eyes fell shut again and Inu-Yasha gave a small whimper.  It simply hurt too much to think.

_Do you wish to hear the rest, Inu-Yasha?_

"Yes," he whispered aloud.  "Tell me how it ends, aniki."

_When the dragon discovered Hageshimaru's plan, he broke away from his fight with the evil one and rushed to save his beloved water youkai.  To his great sorrow, he arrived too late.  The water youkai had been slain, her body destroyed by the minions of Hageshimaru._

"That's terrible," Inu-Yasha mumbled.  "The only thing the dragon ever wanted was to protect her, and now she's dead?  No wonder you never finished this story, Sesshomaru."

_That is not the end of the story, Inu-Yasha.  Shall I continue?_

"Yes."

_Hageshimaru's__ plan ultimately failed.  By slaughtering the one the dragon loved, Hageshimaru inadvertently gave the dragon no purpose in life other than to avenge his love.  In his grief and pain, the dragon made a vow to destroy Hageshimaru, and the two of them returned to battle._

_Since that time so long ago, many battles have been fought, but the war between the dragon and Hageshimaru has not ended.  To this very day the dragon still fights the evil Hageshimaru, and one can hear them clashing when the heavens are dark and storms abound._

_This battle is not only continued by the dragon and Hageshimaru, Inu-Yasha.  It is also fought everyday by the youkai and ningen who inhabit this land.  Even this Sesshomaru fights in the great war._

"How's that?"  Inu-Yasha was desperately trying to understand the point of this sad tale.

_Hageshimaru represents 'fear,' otouto.  The dragon failed to understand that the one thing capable of destroying his love was his fear that she would leave him.  He didn't realize that all lovers must part ways for a time, if only through death.  What binds them together again is their enduring faith in each other.  This mutual bond gives lovers the strength to fight their fears._

_I fight this battle every time I accept that something strikes fear within me.  Rather than run from the fight, I face this fear and do my best to destroy it.  You would be wise to do the same, Inu-Yasha._

"Keh.  As if anything could scare me," Inu-Yasha scoffed.  Sesshomaru did not bother with a response to this obvious lie.  A silence fell, and Inu-Yasha could feel the hands playing with his hair come to a stop.  "Sesshomaru, I didn't think you were ever afraid of anything," Inu-Yasha confessed.

_Only a fool fears nothing, Inu-Yasha.  Even Naraku is afraid, for the heart of Onigumo still beats within him.  Naraku fears your ningen wench and he will do all in his power to destroy her._

"Why do you think I try so damn hard to keep her safe?" Inu-Yasha snarled.  This hallucination was beginning to piss him off.  "And you haven't exactly been helping, Sesshomaru!  You've tried to kill the both of us on more than one occasion."

_That which does not kill you makes you strong.__  You should be thanking me for the experience.  And remember, I have not attacked you without reason.  Perhaps you are thinking I am here to take Tetsusaiga from you?_

"I think I'm having the most unlikely fever-induced dream of my entire life," Inu-Yasha answered bluntly.

_I can see that you are unfit for battle at this time; therefore, attacking you would not be an honorable course of action. Remember what I have said to you, Inu-Yasha.  Confront your fears, or others will use them to destroy you._

A sticky kiss was planted on Inu-Yasha's forehead, followed by a soft giggle.  Then, as quietly as they had arrived, Sesshomaru and the girl left the springs.  The darkness descended over Inu-Yasha once more and Sesshomaru's parting words chased endlessly through his fevered mind.

_Confront your fears…_

"Inu-Yasha?  Wake up for me, please!"  A droplet of something wet hit his face, and Inu-Yasha flinched.  His smell was returning to him, and the first scent that assailed his nose was that of Kagome.  His golden eyes opened to rest upon the face of the worried girl.

"Don't cry," he murmured, reaching out a tender claw to flick the salty moisture away from her cheeks.  "We're all right, Kagome.  Shippo and I just caught some kind of youkai-flu."

"I was so afraid!" Kagome confessed tearfully.  "I kept feeling like something bad had happened, so I left early to come and find you.  When you didn't wake up at first, I thought you were dying!"

"You-you came back early?" Inu-Yasha asked.  "What about those tests of yours?  I thought they were really important!"

"They are, but so are you," Kagome told him with a weak smile.  She sat down next to him then, and rested her head on his shoulder.  "How long have you and Shippo been lying here by the springs?" she asked as she stroked the soft tail of the kitsune sleeping in Inu-Yasha's arms.

"I don't know.  Since last night, I guess."  Inu-Yasha tilted his head to stare at the brightened sky.  It was now the middle of the day.  "I had some really weird dreams last night while I was sick," he added with a shudder.

_Confront your fears…_

"Kagome?" he began hesitantly.  She looked at him with interest.  "I…I worry when you go back to your time.  I keep thinking about how much your world has to offer that I can never give you.  I worry that you're going to go back one day and never return," he told her, the words spilling out in a rush.  Fearing her response to his sudden confession, Inu-Yasha turned his head to look away from her.

A soft hand placed itself within his.  "My world does have a lot to offer," Kagome agreed.  "It has plumbing, fast food, and there are no demons trying to slaughter me in order to steal the Shikon shards.  Unless, of course, you count the Noh mask," she added.

She tugged on his hair, forcing Inu-Yasha to face her.  "My world also has pollution and a complete absence of a certain grumpy hanyou," she said in a teasing tone.  "Inu-Yasha, I will always want to return to you, and I worry sometimes that something completely out of my control is going to prevent me from coming back here.  What if the well closed permanently?"

Inu-Yasha found himself lost in her azure eyes.  Kagome, too, was afraid of not being able to return?  He'd always thought she was secretly happy to be getting away from the dangers of his world.  She wasn't happy to leave him?

"Kagome, can I promise you something?" Inu-Yasha asked her.  At her surprised nod, he continued.  "I promise you that if something happens and the well is sealed, I will do everything in my power to find you again.  No matter how long it takes, I won't give up trying," he vowed.

"That…Inu-Yasha, that means so much to me," Kagome told him as new moisture sprung to her eyes.  "Let me make a vow as well, Inu-Yasha."  She squeezed his hand tightly.  "I promise I will do everything within my power to always return to you.  No matter how long it might take, I won't give up trying," she repeated.

She leaned toward him then, and Inu-Yasha felt a surge of emotion as it appeared she was about to kiss him.  At the last moment, Kagome changed direction and placed her lips on his forehead instead.  "I don't want to catch whatever you've got," she said as she removed her soft lips from his brow.

His only response was a snort before he hugged her tightly against him, nearly squashing Shippo in the process.

"Do you think you can walk back to the village?" Kagome asked as she pulled away.  She kept her hand in his and helped him rise to his feet.  "I can carry Shippo," she said, motioning to the sleeping kit.

"He's fine.  If you wake the brat he'll just start whining again."  They headed towards the village, Inu-Yasha walking slowly.  It could have been the illness, but he also found himself reluctant to hurry.  Getting back to the village meant having to share Kagome with the others.

_Is this what you meant, aniki?  For some reason, the thought of Kagome going back to her time no longer seems so scary…_

"Inu-Yasha?"

"Hm?"

"Was it just you and Shippo out there by the springs?"

"Yeah, it was just us.  Why?" he asked.

"I was wondering who put these flowers and braids in your hair."

His eyes widened with shock as he felt the offending ornaments.  "Damn Sesshomaru!" he cursed, ignoring the look of curiosity on Kagome's face.  Inu-Yasha thought about explaining, but decided against it.  Who would ever believe him?

……

A/N:  Okay, I just had to get this one-shot out of my system.  Occasionally, I need to do something with the canon universe, and this was it.  The story came to me while lying flat on my back with – you guessed it – the flu.  Blechhhh…

Thanks for reading!  Lavender


End file.
